Do As I Say, Not As I Do
by Misterfleas
Summary: When Skimble finds a lost kitten at the station, Old Deuteronomy must decide what to do with it. Much to the disapproval of most of the tribe, he entrusts the kitten to the Rum Tum Tugger! Is Tugger in over his head? Please Read and Review!
1. Prolouge: Skimble's Discovery

**My Proof that Tugger could make a good father figure for Misto; yes I know the beggining is a poem, and no the rest of the story will NOT be in peoetic form. **

**That would be insane. No, correction: _I _would _go_ insane. Anyways, hope you all like.**

**xXxXxXx**

**Prologue: Skimble's Discovery**

It had been a long night;

The Jellicle moon was _not_ shining bright.

And Skimbleshanks, the railway cat,

Had had quite enough of that.

xXx

He had spent all night on the midnight train.

And as he departed, it began to rain.

As the train roared away, into the night,

Skimble heard a noise that gave him a fright!

xXx

A kittenish whimper, a cry in the night;

But wherever he looked, there was no cat in sight.

He followed the noise; he followed the cries.

And then, dear Skimble, could not believe his eyes.

xXx

There stuck, and out in the rain,

Was a small tuxedo kit; tail caught near the train!

And as Skimble helped the kit to get loose,

He saw the last of the train; he saw the caboose.

xXx

A Pollicle barked, alone in the dark,

And Skimble's discovery followed him home through the park.


	2. Chapter 1: Who will it be?

**Chapter 1: Who Will It Be?**

The Junkyard was silent. Munkustrap watched, from his perch on the old car in the main clearing, as the sun peeked over the horizon. As Jellicle Protector, he often sat here; Waiting, watching, listening.

The silhouette of a cat appeared in the Junkyard entrance, which was not unusual, as Munkustrap knew that Skimble returned from a long nights work around this time every morning. No, the strange thing was, Skimbleshanks was carrying something… or someone.

Munkustrap bunched his legs and sprang, almost gracefully, to the ground. He met the railway cat half way through the clearing and was most surprised to find that Skimble was carrying a small kitten. The kitten was a young tom with black fur; three white paws, white chest fur, a white face, and a white tail tip. And he was so small, Munkustrap though he couldn't be more than four or five weeks old.

Skimble gently laid the sleeping kitten down at his paws, "G'morning, Munkus." He yawned.

"Morning." Munkustrap returned the friendly greeting before inquiring, "Where'd he come from?"

"I found him down at the station." Skimble whispered, "He was stuck in the rails."

"But where's his mother?" Munk wondered.

"Says he doesn't have one." Skimble mewed, twitching his whiskers in disbelief, "Little tyke followed me through the park; he's all tuckered out now, though."

Munkustrap thought about that for a while before he decided, "He should see Old Deuteronomy."

Skimble nodded, "After he's slept and had something to eat."

Munkustrap flicked his ears in agreement, "I'll inform him."

The little tux quivered in his sleep; the sun finally rose into the sky, and all the cats began to stir in their dens.

**xXxXxXx**

It was warm and soft where Quaxo lay; somewhere nearby he could smell a fresh mouse. He opened his eyes slowly, and-

"Mum, he's awake! He's awake!" a brown tabby tom kit yowled loudly, causing Quaxo to jump up, whirl around wildly and fall ungracefully onto his face. His legs had somehow managed to get twisted up in the bedding; _huh._

"Ah you all white, Tux?" a pretty white tabby she-kit with brown and gold stripes asked him.

"What?" Quaxo mewed in confusion, disentangling himself from the blankets that had attacked him. _Can't she see that I'm mostly black?_

"I'm Cetty." The she-kit mewed, "What's your name?"

"Qua- uh… I don't have one." Quaxo mewed, hopping his 'kwah' sounded enough like a 'wha'.'

'Cetty' looked confused and opened her mouth to say something, but was rudely interrupted by the tabby tom kit.

"Can we eat _now_?" the tom kit whined.

"Yes, Pounce." An old graying orange and white tabby queen sighed, cuffing Pounce gently.

Pounce ducked away from her and ran circles around the old orange tabby tom from this morning; Quaxo thought his name was Skimble-something-or-another, but he couldn't remember exactly.

"_Pouncival_, you'll make your father dizzy doing that!" the old she-cat scolded.

"He's fine, Jenny dear." Skimble yawned sleepily.

Cetty, who was easily distracted, wriggled and pounced on top of Pouncival; the two kits, who were obviously littermates, tussled in a play fight on the floor next to their father. Skimble more or less ignored them and continued to look at a old grey paper with human print on it.

Quaxo padded around the kittens and sat next to Skimble, "Can you read that newspaper?" he asked.

Skimble grinned, not used to kittens taking an interest in reading, "Yes." He replied.

Quaxo happened to think human print was fascinating; he had often stared at old newspapers out on the streets and wondered what they said.

"I wish I could read human print." Quaxo mewed longingly.

Skimble peered at him strangely, but didn't reply as Jenny set a pile of mice in front of them.

"Freshly caught," she announced proudly.

"Thanks, Jenny." Skimble mewed, taking a mouse.

"Thanks, Mum!" Pounce and Cetty exclaimed at the same time, each trying to snatch the best mouse for themselves.

"Thank you." Quaxo mewed shyly, accepting the mouse Jenny passed him.

Jenny smiled and began to eat her own mouse; _what a nice family, _Quaxo thought.

**xXxXxXx**

After breakfast Skimble took Quaxo to meet with Old Deuteronomy, the Patriarch of all Jellicle cats; _whatever that means._

Quaxo stared up at the old grey tabby; there was no telling what color his fur was originally but Quaxo was sure he could see small patches of red here and there among the overpowering grey.

"Greetings, young one." Old D meowed.

Not knowing what to say, Quaxo nodded his head to the old cat.

"Wherever is your mother?" Old D asked.

Quaxo bristled slightly and then flattened his fur, "I don't have a mother, anymore." He meowed bitterly, "I live by myself."

The on looking cats; which included Skimble, Munk, Corico, Tantie, Cassie, Jenny, Alonzo, Bustopher, Demy and Bombi; all gave the kit looks of pity, or else encouragement. Old D smiled kindly and did not question the young tom further.

Quaxo did not like all of the attention; he flattened his ears and stared at the ground. He had the misfortune of looking like a six week old kit when he was closer to 12 weeks; Quaxo fluffed himself up indignantly.

"Well, let's see. I suppose we have to put you with someone…" Old D contemplated, surveying the on looking crowd. Old D knew that Jelly would take him in, but she defiantly had a houseful, even if most of her kits lived on their own now. Jenny recently had a litter; Bustopher's den was full. Munku had a kit and too much responsibility as it is; Demeter was busy with Jemima, and Cassandra with Exotica; Bombalurina wasn't exactly the kitten type. He didn't even consider asking the twins as they always seemed so busy with their psychic phenomenon. _Where shall I put you?_ Old D thought, _who will it be?_

_If they don't want me, than why'd they bring me here? Maybe I'll just leave and go back…go back to what? The streets? _Quaxo contemplated; he was surprisingly mature for a kitten of so young. Living on the streets by himself for nearly two months had forced him to grow up.

On the other side of the clearing, Rum Tum Tugger was being swarmed by his fan club. Except for Jelly, who was watching the kittens, he was the only adult member of the Jellicle tribe that wasn't at the meeting. Tugger brushed the kittens aside and padded over to see what was going on; it looked serious. Tugger squeezed through the crowd, not knowing that what he was about to see would change his life forever.

At the center of the crowd was a small tuxedo kitten; Tugger had never seen this kit before. And then, as if by destiny, the kit turned and looked strait at Tugger. When their eyes met, Tugger felt a strange pull in his heartstrings.

Quaxo felt drawn to the black and leopard spotted tom; he stood and padded towards the tom. The tom cat's bushy mane reminded Quaxo of the cats from the old legends he'd been told on the street.

"Tiger." Quaxo meowed automatically; he couldn't exactly tell the three great cats apart or he would have known that the tiger was the only one of the legendary cats that Tugger didn't resemble.

"It's Tugger, actually." The mane coon meowed; there was true warmth in his eyes.

Quaxo instinctively pressed himself into the Tugger's mane; Tugger tensed, but then softened to the little tux's touch. The Tugger mewed something that Quaxo couldn't hear to someone that he couldn't see. Immediately, yowling broke out in the clearing. Quaxo bristled, flattened his ears firmly to his head, and burrowed into the Tugger's fur.

**xXxXxXx**


	3. Chapter 2: Oh Everlating Cat!

Chapter 2: Oh, Everlasting Cat!

"No way!" Some cat yowled.

"He's got to be joking again!" another exclaimed, "Can't you ever be serious!"

Tugger folded an ear over and angled his tail in an attempt to look more serious; he didn't think about what other cats would say of his proposition. He just knew that he had a nagging feeling that this kitten belonged with him. And, as usual, he didn't think things through before speaking.

"Barely two years old and he expects to raise a kitten by himself?!" Jenny meowed in disbelief.

"Now, Munkustrap was younger that that when he was made Jellicle Protector, and you didn't object to that." Skimble reminded her.

"That…that was different." Jenny replied huffily.

Tugger didn't see what the big deal was; it's not as if he was completely incompetent. He could take care of one little kitten by himself!

Old Deuteronomy looked at his youngest son intently; this was one cat he hadn't even considered at all. _Strange. _But it seemed that the kitten had already formed a bond with the young mane coon; _this could be just the thing to-_

Tugger could see that his father was deep in thought; he sighed and looked longingly at the young tom kit nestled in his mane. _Of course, I always want what I can't have. _He thought sadly.

"I have made my decision." Old D meowed above all the chatter,

bringing Tugger out of his mental reverie and causing the entire group of cats to fall silent. Even the kittens across the clearing were quiet. And Old Deuteronomy, just before noon, though a silence you feel you can cut with a knife, announced which cat he thought should be the young kit's guardian.

"He shall live with the Rum Tum Tugger." Old D announced.

Tugger released a breath that he hadn't known he'd been holding.

"_Really_." He breathed, in complete jubilee.

But his moment of glee was immediately shut down by an outcry from some angry onlookers.

"Tugger!" Most cried in disbelief.

"That cat doesn't know his whiskers from his tail!" Admetus called from the back.

"Do you always tell fathers that their sons are bumbling idiots?" Old Deuteronomy meowed, amusement glimmering in his eyes and a smile on his face.

Admetus flattened his ears and ducked behind Skimble, who gave him a half-hearted cuff around the ears.

Tugger's fur prickled, and had to steady his tail to keep it from lashing; _how dare they!_

Quaxo _really_ wished they would all stop yowling; he was tired and hungry, and his ears were beginning to hurt from all the noise. He pressed closer still into the Tugger's fur.

"All of you quit this griping." Came a voice from the back of the crowd.

Tugger turned his head to see ole' Gus the theater cat sitting calmly and casting a disapproving glare at the noisy spectators.

"Give Tugger a chance." Gus meowed, nodding to Tugger.

"Then we all agree?" Old D asked.

After a bit of grumbling, all the cats eventually agreed and began to walk away from the group. Some of them gave Tugger a kind smile and words of encouragement, while others simply glared at him- daring him to mess this one up.

Quaxo had begun to drift off to sleep, nestled comfortably in the Tugger's mane; Tugger looked down at him fondly (even though they only first saw each other, like, ten minutes ago.)

"So Tug, what are you going to do with him?"

Tugger jumped, waking the half-asleep kitten, and turned to see Bombi sitting next to him.

"What do you mean?" Tugger meowed, defensively.

"Your den is hardly kitten-proof." Bombi reminded him.

_Bast!_ That was another thing Tugger hadn't thought of. What to do?

"I…I'll take him to my human nest." Tugger decided.

Quaxo yawned and looked sleepily up at Tugger, he glanced around the clearing; very few cats were milling around too close.

"Where'd everyone go?" Quaxo asked.

"Home." Tugger answered him.

"Oh." Quaxo meowed softly.

"How would you like to come home with me?" Tugger meowed.

"I can come home with you?!" Quaxo exclaimed, tiredness escaping him as excitement jumped in.

Tugger grinned broadly, "It's not that far away."

**xXxXxXx**

Tugger let out a sigh of relief as he nudged the kitten though his cat flap; _Where in Heaviside did all that energy come from! He was practically asleep before we left!_

The little tux had practically pranced all the way there, and he just had to stop and look at _everything; _Tugger sure hoped he could keep up with the little furball.

Quaxo was filled with awe as the Tugger tipped him through a little swinging door; on the other side was a huge room. Something shiny in the corner caught his attention; Quaxo dashed off to examine in better.

Tugger stepped though his cat flap after the little tom; _Maybe he'll take a nap soon, kittens need plenty of sleep, right? At least that's what Jelly always said._ Tugger looked down, but the kit wasn't there. _What the?_

_Where did he go?!_ Tugger thought frantically. He looked this way and that and let out a sigh of relief as he finally spotted the little furball over near the-

"Don't touch that!" Tugger yowled, as he ran towards the kit.

Quaxo jumped back in surprise as the Tugger yowled at him; he flattened his ears and looked up as the Tugger came to a skidding halt next to him. The Tugger didn't look angry, but Quaxo wasn't sure.

"That's a mousetrap." Tugger explained breathlessly, "It's _very_ dangerous."

"It doesn't look dangerous." Quaxo mewed; it was just wood and shiny.

"Well, it is. You can get your paw caught in it and it really hurts." Tugger explained.

"That sound's stupid. Who'd get their paw stuck in _that_." Quaxo meowed, stretching his paws forwards.

"No!" Tugger exclaimed knocking the kittens paws out of the way. SNAP!

"Yow!" Tugger exclaimed; he had stuck his own paw directly on the mousetrap and it had shut with a hard snap. Tugger waved his paw wildly, trying to get the mousetrap off; he hadn't been caught in one of those since he was a kitten.

Quaxo bristled in fear; the shiny moved really fast and made a loud snap sound. And now the Tugger was dancing around waving his paw and yowling. Quaxo heard a swish as a big door opened and a very tall up-walker came in. Living on the streets had taught Quaxo to be weary of up-walkers; he ran and hid under a big lopsided blue bush.

Tugger gasped in surprise as he was lifted off the floor. He yowled in protest as one of his human pets took the mousetrap off his paw; it really hurt. Then the stupid human started rubbing his sore paw, he wasn't gentle either. Tugger jumped down from the humans arms, and nearly fell on his face when his paw went out from under him.

Tugger licked it and decided it wasn't broken, this time, but would probably be bruised and hurt like fire for a few days. The human left and took the mousetrap with him; _good riddance!_

Quaxo timidly crawled out from under the weird bush; his tail was down and he didn't dare approach the Tugger.

Tugger noticed the kit as he came out from under the sofa,

"Come here." Tugger mewed sternly.

Quaxo obediently padded over to the Tugger, but he kept his ears flattened and his tail down.

"You see, I told you it was dangerous." Tugger chided; he sighed, there was no way he could bring himself to be angry with the kit. Hadn't he been just the same at that age? Tugger twitched an ear as the little kits stomach growled in hunger.

Quaxo hunched low to the ground as his stomach growled, he still couldn't tell if the Tugger was angry with him or not.

"Let's get something to eat." Tugger meowed, "The kitchens this way."

Quaxo didn't know what a kitchen was; he followed Tugger into another room with a hard yellow and white ground. _It smells funny in here._

Tugger padded over to his food bowl; _Oh, Everlasting Cat! How will he eat that? The kibble's too big for his little kitten teeth. And where in Heaviside will he sleep? Ok, well he can have my basket, I hardly ever use it anyways. But he… he, I don't even know his name! What in Heaviside did I get myself into?!_

**xXxXxXx**

**Poor Tugger xD**


End file.
